Vacuum operated hair removing attachment for hair clippers



VACUUM OPERATED HAIR REMOVING ATTACHMENT FOR HAIR CLIPPERS Filed Feb 15,1955 INVENTORS 0PM W Shekycf 0/ /77 Ghe/eg ited States Patent VACUUMOPERATED HAIR REMOVING ATTACH- lVIENT FOR HAIR CLIPPERS Orin W. Sheleyand Orin .l. Sheley, Sterling, Ill.

Application February 15, 1955, Serial No. 488,204

2 Claims. (Cl. 30-133) This invention relates to hair clipperattachments, and more particularly, has reference to an attachment for aconventional electric hair clippers of the type used by barbers, theattachment being so designed as to remove by vacuum action hair as it iscut by the clippers.

While devices of the type referred to are not new per se, heretofore, toour knowledge, said devices have in general included only a duct inwhich a suction is created, through which duct the hair is drawn afterit is cut. The present invention incorporates, in addition to the duct,in the clipper attachment a means for cooling the motor of a hairclipper. As a result, an important object of the present invention is toprovide an attachment as described which will permit the clipper to beused for a longer period of time without stopping the operation thereof,as distinguished from clippers and hair removing attachments aspresently designed, wherein the heat produced by the clipper unitcreates,.in time discomfort, requiring that the clipper be stopped for aperiod of time.

Another object of importance is to provide a device of the type statedwhich, by reason of the clipper-cooling function thereof, will keep theclipper cool so as to result in a lengthening of the life of theclipper.

Still another object is to provide a device as stated which will becapable of attachment to a conventional clipper with a minimum ofdifficulty, by removal of the upper part of the clipper casing andsubstitution of the hair removal device therefor, with the device thenbeing secured to the clipper by replacement of the screws normally usedto hold the upper and lower parts of the clipper together.

Yet another object of importance is to provide a device which will becapable of disassembly so far as the component parts thereof areconcerned, with a minimum of difliculty and with maximum facility, thusto facilitate the cleaning of the device.

Yet another object is to provide a'device as described which can bemanufactured at a minimum of cost, from easily molded plastic or otherrelatively inexpensive material.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claimsappended thereto, and from the annexed drawing, in which like referencecharacters designate like parts throughout the several veiws, in which:

Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a hair clipper attachmentformed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view in which the scale has been reduced belowthat used in Figure 1, showing the device applied to a conventionalelectric hair clippers; and

Figure 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view on line 33 of Figure2.

Referring to the drawings in detail, at 10, 12 there have been generallydesignated an outer or top section and an inner or bottom section,respectively, of the attachment constituting the present invention.

The outer section includes a single piece of molded 2,748,472 PatentedJune 5, 1956 plastic or similar material (metal such as aluminum could,of course, be used) having an outer end portion 14 bowed upwardly indirections both transversely and longitudinally of said outer endportion 14 of the upper section. The longitudinally curved or upwardlybowed part of the upper section 10 merges, at the inner end portion ofthe upper section, into a relatively elongated extension of semicircularcross section, the extension 16 being reduced progressively in width, asshown in Figures 1 and 2, and merging into a relatively narrow part ofconstant width, in which is receivable a vacuum hose 18. The vacuum hose18, as will be understood, is connected to any means for producing avacuum, such as a conventional vacuum cleaner, suction fan, or the like.

Formed upon the opposite longitudinal edges of the outer end portion aredepending, relatively narrow side flanges 20, said side flanges at theirinner ends merging into the opposite sides of the extension 16.

The bottom or inner section 12 includes an outer end portion 22 integralwith an inner portion 24. The outer end portion 22 is coextensive inwidth with the outer end portion 14 of the section 10, and is alsocoextensive in length therewith. Portion 22 is, further, transverselyand longitudinally bowed correspondingly to the portion 14 of section 10(see Figure 3).

The inner end portion 24 is coextensive in width and length with theinner end portion 16 of section 10, and is formed with an upwardlyfacing groove 26 of a semicircular cross section confronting thedownwardly facing, correspondingly shaped groove of the extension 16 ofthe section 10. As a result, there are defined between the innerportions 16, 24 a cylindrical passage, providing an outlet for air drawnthrough the space between the sections it), 12. The hose 18 is fittedover the portions 16, 24 so as to hold the same together.

Integrally formed upon the opposite sides of the outer end portion 22are depending, elongated side walls 28, having straight bottom edgesadapted to engage against the top surface of hair clipper 30 afterremoval of screws 44 to detach the upper part of the clipper casing. Theouter end portion 22, at its front end, further, is formed with adepending lip in which is formed, medially between the opposite sides ofthe section 12, a notch 32 adapted to receive a projection 34 formedupon the clippers 30. This properly positions the device upon theclippers, and it is merely necessary that one then reinsert the screwsthat were previously used in holding together the parts of the clippercase, for the purpose of holding together the clippers and the sections10, 12, so that in use, hte clippers may be held in a natural manner.Special attaching devices whereby the attachment is secured to theclippers are thus eliminated. It will be understood, in this regard,that the hose 18 fits over the sections together at their inner ends,while the outer ends of the sections are held together during theconnecting operation due to the interfitting configuration of the same.Still further, the interengaged sections 10, 12, are held againstmovement laterally of the clippers by the interengaging notch andprojection 32, 34, prior to the connecting of the sections 10, 12 to theclippers by the screws.

Formed in the portion 22, medially between the opposite ends thereof, isan opening 36, the front and back edges of which are inclined orbeveled, as shown in Figure 3. An opening 38 is formed in the undersideof the clippers 30, as is usual, the opening 38 being disposed forwardlyof the opening 36 a short distance, as shown in Figure 3.

The flanges 20, seating against the section 12, space the section 10thereabove, to define between the sections a relatively flat, wide, airpassage 40 opening at one end upon the leading end of the deviceimmediately above the teeth 41 of the clippers. The passage 40 at itsother end is in communication with the hose 18, and thus, when a suctionis created withinthe hose 18 by a suitable suction-producing mechanism,air will be drawn into the passage 40 in the direction of the arrow ofFigure 3, through the open frontor inlet end of the passage. Hair cut'bythe teeth 41, as will be understood, will be immediately taken up in thecurrent created by the suction, and 'will be drawn into the passage40 soas who removed to a convenient receptacle.

In this way, hair does not tend to fall upon the person holding thedevice, nor does the hair fall upon the person Whose hair is being cut.Still further, the hair does not drop to the floor, where it wouldpresent an unsightly appearance in barber shops, requiring periodicsweeping of the floor;

For the purpose of receiving the'screws 44, the sections 10, 12 areprovided with rectangularly spaced, registering openings 46, 48 in saidsections, the openings of the section 12 being smooth-walled. Screws 44are extended through the registering openings into registering openingsformed in the clipper casing, for the purpose of detachably connectingthe sections to one another.

It will be noted that the upward curvature of the outer end portion 22defines between said portion 22 and the upper surface of the clippers 30a chamber 42, said chamber being closed at its sides and ends. As aresult, when a suction is created within the passage 40, said suctionwill in turn be transmitted to the chamber 42, and air will be drawninwardly through the clipper motor to cool the same, the air movinginto'the housing of the clipper through the air inlet opening 38, andpassing transversely of the clipper into the chamber 42, the air beingthen drawn into the air passage 40 through the aperture 36.

By reason of this arrangement, a positive cooling of the mechanism ofthe clippers is effected, by the suction created within the device. Theclippers can thus be operated for longer periods of time than hasheretofore been true of these devices, since the suction created is suchas to represent a rather substantial air current through the mechanismof the clippers, greater than that ordinarily provided in clipperdevices equipped with cooling fans on the motor.

The result will be, as will be understood, that the clippers can be usedfor any desired period of time, without requirement of stopping theoperation thereof while the clippers cools otf. Throughout the use ofthe clippers, no discomfort is caused to the person holding the same, orto the person to Whom the clipper is applied.

Further, it will be understood that whenever it is desired to use theclippers without the hair removing attachment, the attachment is readilyremoved by extracting screws after which it is simply lifted off theclippers, to permit the upper part of the clippers casing to bereattached to the lower part.

It is believed apparent that the invention is not nec- Cir essarilyconfined to the specific use or uses thereof de- 50 scribed above, sinceit may be utilized for any purposes to which it may be suited. Nor isthe invention to be necessarily limited to the specific constructionillustrated and described, since such construction is only intended tobe illustrative of the principles of operation and the means presentlydevised to carry out said principles, it being considered that theinvention comprehends any minor change in construction that may bepermitted within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. The combination, with the lower part of the casing of a hair clip ofthe type having its casing formed in two parts, of a hair removingdevice of the suction type formed to constitute the upper part of saidcasing in substitution of the part initially provided on the casing,said device comprising: a tubular assembly forming an air passage andhaving an inlet at one end for hair cut by said clippers and an outletat its other end adapted for connection to a source of suction, saidassembly including in'terfitting top and bottom sections forming theupper and lower portions, respectively, of said passage, the bottomsection including depending side walls outside the passage extending inlongitudinal contact with said lower part of the clipper casing; andfastening elements extending through both sections and engaging in saidlower casing part to hold the sections assembled with one another andwith the lower casing part. 2. The combination, with the lower part ofthe casing of a hair clip of the type having its casing formed in twoparts, of a hair removing device of the suction type formed'toconstitute the upper part of said casing in substitution-of thepartinitially provided on the casing, saiddevice comprising: a tubularassembly forming an air passage and having aninlet at one end for haircut by'said clippers and an outlet at its other end adapted forconnection to a source of'suction, said assembly including interfittingtop and'bottom sections forming the upper and lower portions,respectively, of said passage, the bottom section including dependingside Walls outside the passageextending in longitudinal contact withsaid lower part of the clipper casing; and fastening elements extendingthrough both sections and engaging in said lower casing part to hold thesections assembled with one another and with the lower casing part, saidlower section having intermediate its ends an opening providingcommunication between the interior of the clipper casing and saidpassage, whereby, on creation of a suction within the passage, air willflow into the passage both through said inlet and through said opening,respectively, for simultaneously removing hair cut by the clipper andcooling the clipper interior.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

